Editorial: Compromise on RV ordinance is best outcome

The Lafayette City-Parish Council is wrestling with a difficult question that affects the quality of life of local homeowners and the economic well being of itinerant workers and the local companies that depend on them.

It appears, however, that the council and Lafayette Consolidated Government are working on a solution that will provide a good compromise.

The question is whether itinerant workers who hold jobs in the area should be allowed to live full time in RVs or campers in unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish. An ordinance that would limit occupancy of such homes away from home to 180 days per calendar year was passed in October, then vetoed by City-Parish President Joey Durel. The council subsequently overrode the veto, reinstating the ordinace, all within a period of less than a month.

The goal now, according to council member Jay Castille, who represents the northern part of the parish, is to find a resolution that "doesn't hurt anybody."

That's good to hear.

The issue first rose to the surface when citizens began to complain that their neighbors were renting space on their property to workers living in campers without sewage service or electricity.

Not only did it create an unpleasant odor, but it raised some safety issues.

Those are legitimate concerns for the homeowners, who are entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

The problem is that the ordinance in its original form would prohibit these workers from staying for more than six months in parks or campgrounds that are designed to accommodate them.

It would cause a hardship for people who can't afford to maintain two residences - one near their work and one in their hometown, where they pay rent or a mortgage. A motel room would also be an impossible expense for many of the lower-paid workers.

It would also cause a hardship for the businesses that might suffer a sudden loss of part of its work force.

And a certain hardship would also befall the campgrounds, trailer parks and parks that profit from these long-term visitors.

To banish them outright would not be a good solution, nor would allowing them to park in driveways and backyards.

It's a sticky situation and one that is common in boom towns around the nation. So far, there is little evidence that anyone has come up with a good solution.

In the mid-20th century, large corporations like Dow and Alcoa were known to construct compounds in distant cities for their workers, complete with all the comforts of home.

But that was then. Today, the employers who attract itinerant workers could be a large oil company or a small oilfield service provider without the resources to build company housing.

So, the workers come to town in everything from pop-up campers to $50,000 RVs with features like fully equipped kitchens, full bathrooms and air conditioning.

Castille said he and others on the council are working with the Planning and Zoning Commission to hammer out an amendment to the ordinance that would be amenable to all concerned.

One solution would be to grandfather camper and RV parks, as well as parks where camping is already permitted, Castille said.

There should also be a hardship provision to allow exceptions to the law. If a homeowner's relative or friend lost a job or fell on hard times, they could apply to the council for a hardship exemption, Castille said.

These sound like reasonable compromises and workable solutions.

We urge the city-parish council and the administration to work together to find the middle ground between the residents who deserve to enjoy their homes in peace and the temporary residents who need a place to live while away from home.

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Editorial: Compromise on RV ordinance is best outcome

The Lafayette City-Parish Council is wrestling with a difficult question that affects the quality of life of local homeowners and the economic well being of itinerant workers and the local companies